Aiedail, A fourth to the Inheritance
by hudm
Summary: After capturing Feinster and Belatona, Eragon continues his battles. He runs into even more twists and turns, ones that he feels need to be stopped. But coming close is Angela's prophecy..Will he kill Galbatorix? Will Murtagh turn? Find out in Aiedail. R
1. Half Brothers

Aiedail

Hi everyone. I joined . Cause…I wanted to write a 4th inheritance book.

Let's get to the point though. It starts just after Brisingr, so if you didn't read that, you better. I've decided to call the fourth book "Aiedail", because the star will be a major part.

_After taking Feinster, the Varden continued to Belatona. Afterwards, Eragon left to find the elves, who were heading to Gil'ead. Just as Eragon reached Isenstar Lake, however, Thorn decided to have a chat. They had no battle, Thorn merely wanted to make sure his enemy-by-oath decided to join Galbatorix. Obviously, Saphira and Eragon declined and watched as Thorn mysteriously left. The rider and dragon confused as to why Murtagh hadn't come, they continued to find the elves on the opposite shore. This is where our story will start._

--

The elves around Saphira pleased Eragon; after the Varden he could take no more attention. Saphira was just as joyous, laughing at the elves' mysterious behavior. It always surprised the two that after the war of the dragons and elves, the elves could only respect their former enemy.

Islanzadí approached, battle worn but beautiful nonetheless. She seemed content, even though there had been reports of outbreaks within Ceunon. Even though the citizens there despised Galbatorix, they seemed to hate the elves no less. As the queen walked closer, the elves shuffled away, aware that eavesdropping would not be tolerated.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin" Eragon greeted, using the tradition of the elves.

"It is I who should start the greeting. Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shadeslayer." The queen replied, staying to the Ancient Language.

"You give me too much credit Queen Islanzadí. Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr." The rider replied, also speaking the language of the elves.

"Un du evarínya ono varda. Come now, we musn't wait all day. Why is it you are here?"

"I could say that I merely wanted to check on you, but that would be a lie. I fear that Murtagh has retreated from the Varden, and forced his attack on you. Is this so?"

"Aye, but you need not fear. He is in our captivity at the moment, with our ten greatest magicians keeping an eye on him. His dragon escaped, as we fear not appear as brutal as that." Eragon was surprised at the sentence, but asked to see his half-brother. A talk was what was needed.

As they arrived at the area, Eragon noticed that his fellow Rider was held to a tree trunk, sung to wrap its branches around him, and with ten ropes of pure magic holding him back. The elves seemed to be holding the ropes back from a distance, a look of sweat in their eyes.

When Eragon approached, however, Murtagh looked away. Saphira, still affected by Glaedr's cries, snarled at the boy's embarrassment. Murtagh turned and store straight at Saphira in turn and snarled back. His face had inherited a pure red glow, as if he had placed Thorn's eldunarí in his head. Eragon thought of doing so himself, but thought better of it.

"I fear that you have destroyed the meaning of courage, Murtagh. I am Eragon Bromson, and you are Murtagh Morzanson. The elves here could strain you until your true name is changed, but I wish it not. If you decide—" Eragon stopped to ask Saphira first, "to swear oaths that you will not try to escape or harm anyone including myself or Saphira, then I shall show you the true meaning of joy, of flying, and of riding."

"I fear that you have destroyed the meaning of honor, Eragon," he replied, speaking the Ancient Language," Do not think I will so easily turn. I am not any slave of Galbatorix, as you may think. I am his _apprentice_. I am no longer bound by oaths to his rule, a mistake he made in a mad fit. I am a free Rider."

"Then why do you insist on being bound here? Why not join me and destroy the one who once made you a slave?" Eragon replied in the same language.

"I would gladly join you, but my slaver decided that I should swear oaths of alliance and fealty to Thorn, who is bound to the Dark King."

Eragon swore. Galbatorix had crossed the line. "Why does your face glow?"

"Thorn's eldunarí is a part of my every being. In a matter of days my skin will not be so. Please now, I wish not to speak with one who my dragon has sworn against his will to defeat, whether Galbatorix be alive or dead. Go."

Eragon felt sympathy for his half-brother, and so he left. It was a horrible thought, to be bound to the very person you dislike the most.

_Do not forget, Murtagh said that whether Galbatorix were alive or dead, Thorn would always be bound, _Saphira replied to Eragon's thoughts.

Cursing, Eragon climbed on her back for a ride. He needed to clear his mind.

He needed to find a way to unbind Thorn.


	2. Thorn

Thorn

**Erawind:** Thanks. I updated there if you'd like to check.

And now let's begin with the next chapter, _Thorn_, and find out what the heck that name means.

--

The wind rattled Saphira's wings, throwing her off course as she ascended to the clouds. Eragon's mind wondered towards the eldunarí, but he did not feel like consulting the heartbroken dragon, Glaedr, at the moment. Instead, he continued conversing with his partner.

_You may not want to question Glaedr, but I think you must. _Saphira said, turning to her wise side.

And at that moment, the most unsuspected thing happened. A mind, vast and full of many thoughts, brushed against Eragon's conscious.

_Saphira is correct. I am here, and it is now. Understand that while I may feel empty without Oromis, I am still your professor. I know you have questions and if you asked them, I could turn away from darkened thoughts. So please, _interrogate_ me._

_If I must. I have three questions._

_Then ask them, Shur'tugal._

_…Okay. One, Murtagh said, in the Ancient Language, that Thorn's eldunarí was within his very body. How could this be possible? It seems like a very useful idea._

_Useful? More like dangerous. Eldunarí are strictly dragon's hearts. I refuse to teach this to you else you die._

_But he lived._

_If he lived then he lived. Dragons' organs and humans' organs don't mix. It's two dangerous. Ask your second question._

_If you insist. Is it possible to break oaths?_

_There are ways, yes, but it's no less dangerous than the eldunarí-in-human thing._

_Knowing may make the difference between victory and defeat._

_Who is in the oaths?_

_Thorn._

_Then there is only one way, which would take dozens of magicians, and which may kill Murtagh._

_How would that be?_

_Will you die of curiosity if I do not tell you?_

_Yes._

_You have to break Thorn's eldunarí._

Eragon withdrew. The thought of breaking a heart of hearts, even if it meant defeating Galbatorix, seemed unreasonable. In fact, as Saphira landed, he jumped off and ran straight to Murtagh, who seemed offended when Eragon told him the news.

As Eragon left, however, a surprising answer drifted over him.

"We shall." Murtagh said. Eragon was reluctant, but he turned around.

"Get me six and thirty spell casters, elves. We have a surgery to complete."


	3. Eldunarí

Eldunarí

Erawind: Yay, thanks. I thought chapter two sucked, but that's my opinion. And yes, I have msn.

Let's go ahead and follow that surgery.

-----------------------------

Thirty six elves stood around Murtagh, half of them keeping him held down. The rest readied for the half-elf's orders. Eragon was not sure what to do, but Glaedr was.

_Are they ready?_ the golden eldunarí asked.

_Ready when you are._ Eragon replied.

_Then split the casters into two groups. One group will supply energy, the other…_

_Will do whatever needs to be don,._ the rider finished. He relayed to information to the elves, who moved amongst themselves until two equal groups appeared.

The former dragon spoke, _The spellcasters need to enter Murtagh's mind and use magic to merge their bodies with his, except one. The one's in Murtagh shall search for the eldunarí and the last will pull it out. In order to do this, however, the body-mergers must hold back Murtagh's conscious, else we will be at a loss. _

And so it continued. The elves did what they had to, and although Murtagh was reluctant, he still allowed the elves to enter his conscious. After what seemed like ages, but was really just a few hours, the Red-Rider held in his hands a red crystal.

Saphira sniffed Thorn's heart of hearts. She seemed disappointed, and almost unwilling, to break it.

_Must we destroy it? Will it do no more than kill Thorn? What if the third egg is a girl? I am worried, Eragon. I fear that if we do this my race shall die. Can we not keep Red Scales under our control until the third egg hatches?_

Just at that point, a red dot gradually grew in the horizon. It deformed from a circle until it became a dragon. And so Thorn grabbed his eldunarí, and his rider, and left without a disturbance.

***

Three days after, Eragon once again rode Saphira south towards Surda. He had checked in with Nasuada, and his liege lord replied with a frown and an order to return. Belatona could not catch itself.

The wind whistled at the rider's ear. For a moment, he thought he could hear his mother's voice, a desperate cry, but discarded the thought. He was not crazy.

From this height the two appeared only as an eagle, and in coincidence, eagles were the only company they had besides each other. At times Eragon tried to speak with the fellow fliers, but to no avail, as eagles could not talk. Many times he considered raising one as a pet, or making it smart like Blagden. Such a bird would come in handy. Even Saphira seemed content on the idea, and she rarely accepted other winged animals.

The half-elf felt an unexplainable feeling, and knew that Feinster was very close. The idea of another raid discouraged him, but he knew he had no choice in the matter.

For a second he thought he felt a large presence, but knew otherwise.

Saphira drew in her wings and prepared for the dive. Just as they suspected, she landed in the middle of Feinster. Eragon jumped off of the saddle to be greeted by Nasuada and Roran. After exchanging pleasantries, they entered a small building which Eragon assumed to be the leader-of-the-Varden's current stay place.

Again, he felt a large presence, but once again pushed it away.

Saphira poked her head in through a window and watched the three little ones. Roran seemed very hardened—Nasuada too—and Eragon felt careless next to them.

The dark skinned leader pulled out a crystal-like object from a drawer and showed it to the rider.

_Hello Eragon. It seems that you have the same name as my long lost rider._


	4. SvitKona

Svit-Kona

I'm sure you've wondered where the Romance in the genre comes from. We'll get a hint of that now, although it won't major until after Galbatorix's defeat. Let's follow Arya, in Paolini's third-person POV style.

-----------------------------

Arya silently arrived at the edge of Kuasta, her footsteps soft patters and her body an invisible figure. She whispered a quiet statement, and within not thirty seconds, she appeared at the top of the wall. The two guards, embedded with Galbatorix's crest, and obviously appointed because of the Vardens' movement, noticed only a slight rustle in the wind.

With a flick of her wrist and another whispered word, both fainted.

The elf looked at the unconscious human and grabbed his sword. She brought no weapons, as she was only spying, but she needed a way to guard herself. She murmured a song to the trees, which grew a branch to encase the blade with wood, keeping it from making a sound. She then took the belt from a guard and locked it on, sheathing the wood-covered knife.

The princess ran across the wall and re-enchanted her invisibility. She then cast another spell to lower herself from the wall.

She drew upon the Dwarven ruby embedded in her skin.

Not three miles away, Blödhgarm and two others prepared in case of an emergency. Arya knew they would not be needed.

As she alighted on the soft ground, her feet pounced off the dirt-sand mixture towards the mayor's office. It wouldn't be long before her mission was finished and she could return to the Varden, who had successfully captured Aroughs, Feinster, Belatona, and Melian.

Oiling the hinges of the door with magic, Arya entered and made sure no one could eavesdrop. Inside, Ellin Prona, the mayor of Kuasta, sat on her chair with a dumbstruck face.

"I am Arya, princess of the elves, and I am here to see to it you are turned to the Varden's control, else be attacked. You have your choice."

"That I do, Arya, and I do speak the language of the Ancients. And so I can say," Ellin converted to the Ancient Language, "that I am not loyal to Galbatorix. That my mother pretended to be unable to pronounce the oath and that she merely promised in your tongue. That I nearly pulled war on Galbatorix to ensure that I would follow my mother's oath, and that if he should pull one wrong word, he would have much larger enemies than he could ensure."

"Shall you promise loyalty to the Varden?" Arya replied in the same tongue.

"I promise loyalty to the Varden, and so in the name of the citizens…well, they do too. I will provide safe passage for you from here to Belatona."

And so Arya and her company left the city and were shown that there was a passage through the Spine, unknown to anyone but the people of Kuasta.

The four elves now stood in front of Nasuada, awaiting her orders. A representative had followed them from Kuasta, who spoke the old language, to ensure the city's loyalty. Nasuada was pleased, and so Arya returned to her tent to reflect as she did every night.

At her place, the elf pulled out a journal and wrote in the ancient tongue:

**After five days, I have successfully aligned Kuasta with the Varden. I sit here on a cot now, and all I can think of is rejection; rejection to my kin, to my friends, and most surprisingly, to Eragon.**

**To my kin, as I know I left them with only a memory, and although I may have returned, I merely let them see. I have changed. I am more human now; my stay with the Varden has changed me. I no longer laugh as I used to. I no longer sing for mere happiness. I no longer speak only in my tongue.**

**To my friends, as my accompaniment as I held the blue egg back and forth and fell in love with one of my kind. Now I feel I have pushed them to the back of my mind. I feel I no longer know them.**

**To Eragon. I feel as if my rejections were for naught. For the first moment I lay eyes on him, I feel warmth. Warmth, that I have not felt in many a year. Not only does he express his feelings for me—which has me blush on the inside—he is partner to Saphira, one whom I have befriended and feel I have known for longer than my mother herself. I have rejected a chance at love, a chance that I should only have taken.**

**Perhaps I will change. It will not be known until the day it happens, and even then, more gradually.**

She set her binded pages down, and let tears roll down her cheeks as she drifted to sleep in the late night.


	5. Love

Love

Thanks, both of y'all! It's fun to walk around the house and say "I have fans!" =D

Ok, all two of you (and whoever else may or may not read this fic without reviewing. I love reviews though!) have been wondering, probably, what's gonna happen with Eragon and the big ol' eldunarí. Well, it was just a crystal and a big voice made by Murtagh. Sorry!

Oh, and I'm growing a tail.

Now really, let's find out what this teacher is all about.

_--------------_

"We found this in an old cellar. Really, you'd think Galbatorix would put maximum security." Roran chuckled. He seemed a little lightheaded and giddy.

_Now then. You apparently need training, _the eldunarí said, _from me. And I can definitely give you training. In fact that's why fate brought us here. I have no doubt about that. But there are a few things that you, as a fellow rider and the only hope of this land, should know. _

_Slowly and gradually, the Dark King is corrupting the minds of all the eldunarí he's taken. Eventually, they will speak to no one. This will be his downfall._

_Another is the spell of no-detection. It takes no energy, but rather patience and time. If you are to stay undetected into Galbatorix's throne room, you should move slowly and steadily. The words to this spell are __**Un Dutóc Lufollo. Don't forget them.**_

___The last bit of knowledge is that the third egg is indefinitely female. Thorn's oaths have to be broken else the dragon's fall._

At that point, the eldunarí itself slipped off of Nasuada's hands and rolled across the floor. Eragon store, as it seemed impossible.

"Un dutóc lufollo!" Eragon sang, and immediately both Nasuada's and Roran's eyes moved towards him. Of course, they started arguing how he was gone. The rider strode right in front of their eyes, screamed barzul, and watched as they store blankly. He ran out the door and, all the sudden:

"There you are, Eragon." Arya stated happily.

***

Partner and partner, Eragon and Saphira soared through the clouds. This time, however, they had a reason; a motive to fly. He sat in the saddle, feeling the warmth of Arya's hands as she held his hips for safety. He found an eagle, and he asked it to be a friend. And so, Eragon had all that was meaningful. A friend, a love, and a partner for life. All the while, he headed to Ellesmera, with Galbatorix dead.

It was at this point that Eragon awoke to find himself holding his hips. He stood up and said good morning to Saphira, who replied the same. He walked straight across the tents, through the streets of Belatona, and to the one place he was looking for.

He called at the tent, and was more than happy to find himself allowed inside.

"Why is it you come, Eragon"

"I'm not sure anymore." Eragon replied, and sat next to the elf. Her cheeks seemed to take on a red hue.

"And so, you come again to try once more. Remember what happened last time, Eragon?

"That I do. And I understand my mistakes. But I can't stop myself. At any point, you could die. I would be heartbroken."

"And if you die, will I not be heartbroken?"

"What do you mean to say, Arya?"

"That I love you." The elf finished, and kissed him on the cheek before leaving.

Eragon felt dumbstruck, and he walked out of the tent to Saphira, where he knew things could make sense, at least a little.


	6. DrasLeona

Dras-Leona

Hey guys. 3 of you now -wipes sweat- I can't keep up ;-)

Ok. Action time. Seriously, let's have miss Varden Leader take siege upon Dras-Leona.

But no, we won't follow Eragon this time. We'll follow, well, you'll see.

---------

Angela grabbed her huthvír, Solembum by her side. He had transformed into his scraggly boy form and wielded a dagger.

_Oh __**Solembum**__, are you ready for this Dras-Leona siege? _Angela asked.

_That depends if you choose to call me by my real name. _Solembum replied horribly.

_Fine Eragon. Really, must you be so picky? It seems weird, I don't know who to call Eragon anymore. You know, your dragon's eldunarí came in the other day._

_Is that so? I'm glad I didn't see him. It would tear my soul apart._

_Aye, I suppose._

Angela continued, using her weapon as a walking stick. Eventually she reached the main body of the Varden. She could faintly see Saphira's tail waving in the air. She jumped on her horse, Solembum behind, and waited for the charge.

Eventually the group moved, and the herbalist struck spoke a word of movement to the animal beneath her. She charged forward to Nasuada, who welcomed her with a curt nod. The two rode quickly and quietly

After hours, the army stopped for camp. They were more than halfway to Dras-Leona, and the horses needed rest. North sat Helgrind, and west lied the massive Leona Lake. Angela saw an argument between humans and urgals on the shore, and she walked in that direction, Eragon the werecat behind her. The yelling had to do with drinking water, so she continued on and watched as Saphira dived in and out of the water, Eragon screaming his joy, and her scales sparkling in the sun.

_He reminds me_ _much of what I was once_, the magical feline observed, _care full and yet carefree. At least, one day he will be of this race. He has much to learn as a rider, however. His dragon too shall one day sparkle as a star._

Angela nodded, not feeling the need to talk. She continued to let her eyes follow the dragon.

_You miss Aiedail, don't you Angela? _the former rider spoke. He rubbed against her leg, and she scratched behind his ears.

_I do._

***

Angela swung her sword-staff around, knocking one soldier upside the head and stabbing another. She no longer smiled, instead wearing the stern face she always had when fighting. Already, twenty had fallen to her, and the battle had just begun. Dras-Leona held its own, but would eventually fall to the Varden. If anything, Angela would make sure that would happen.

Obviously, Eragon Shadeslayer rode Saphira sky high, battling Murtagh. Angela smiled, then spoke through her connection with Arya, to the rider.

_Don't get killed, Eragon. It might hurt._

She swung her huthvír again, taking two more lives with it. The weapon escaped her grip, and she jumped to grab it, parrying a deathly blow from behind. The gates had finally opened, and the Varden stormed inside, checking for surrenders before destroying the enemy. Thorn swooped down and smoked some, but was interrupted by blue-scales.

The werecat had taken on the form of a boy again, and stabbed many. Everything was going fine.

That is, until a boom sounded and in a burned, black circle sat a green egg. Angela ran, picked it up, and sped away as quickly as she could, protecting the stone-like item in her hands. She jumped on her horse and rode back the way they had come, not caring who saw.

She had to find the next Dragon rider.


	7. Maeladurna

Maeladurna

Wow. It's been a while since my last update. Sorry for the wait, I just haven't taken the time to sit down and type up another chapter. This chapter will follow Angela, again. After the three asterisks (***), expect the story to change spots. Angela will have moved over a dramatic distance in a short time, without magic, and you guys won't know exactly how until you read. The chapter name "Maeladurna" is a converged version of maela (quiet) and adurna (water).

Anyway, let's start this chapter. It's one of the most important, so make sure that if you are planning to keep up with the story, you know everything that happens here.

Before we begin, just remember the two things you learned about Angela and Solembum in chapter 6. Solembum is really the first Eragon, and Angela "misses Aiedail".

--

Angela put out the fire, already swinging her legs around the saddle of her horse, her werecat companion sitting in front of her. She dug her heels into the sides of the horse to charge forward and wind blew in her hair almost instantly. It felt good to her, to be there on a horse's back. The werecat - now a boy - yelled out of joy. Angela joined him; she needed the carefree moment.

The herbalist halted her horse and jumped off, telling it to leave until she called once more.

_Where do you plan to go, Angela? There is no way to know who will be the next rider. Even I do not have that knowledge. _Eragon the werecat asked.

_To Maeladurna, past the eastern edge of the Hadarac Desert and the Edda River. It is where I…arrived in Alagaësia. Not only is it a small, proud town, but it is hidden and can access the eastern sea._

The herbalist-witch cut the connection and took out a silvery potion that shone in the starlight. There was quite a lot of it, all glimmering beautifully like liquid silver. She took off the cap and set it on a strange stand, which she lit on fire. Soon enough, the stand conjured a small explosion which the container of liquid into the air. The bottle spun so quickly, however, that no potion came out.

Suddenly, it stopped in mid-air, upside down, and shone brighter than before. The potion poured out and formed a small dome around Angela and Solembum, and the egg, still sparkling. Angela felt a strange sensation she hadn't felt in quite a while, and gazed down at her now dissolving hands. She sat all of herself down and waited, for she knew there would be more.

The dome picked itself up to reveal that it was really a sphere, carrying all the little particles of the two strange beings. By now it was a blinding white light, and slowly rising. Angela screamed Maeladurna's name, and the sphere lit up with white fire.

Anybody watching the stars at that point would have noticed that Aiedail dimmed the smallest bit.

***

Angela awoke at dawn to find herself lying in a soft bed. She sat up and looked around as the familiar werecat jumped to her feet. It wasn't long before a woman came in carrying a cup of tea.

"Hello Angela Starwatcher," the woman said with a polite voice, "and welcome to Maeladurna. It's been quite a while since we've seen you, but we hope you welcome our hospitality." Angela nodded and looked around again.

"Where's the—" the witch started to ask.

"It's right in that drawer to your left. You kept your promise, which surprises many of us. We only have to find the next rider."

_What kind of idiot promise did you make?_ Solembum asked angrily.

_I would bring them a dragon egg for one of their children, and that I would bring them a rider to train it._

Solembum left the room, running for the door. Angela laughed at the werecat, for she knew he was looking forward to a new rider. She looked up at the woman again.

"Galbatorix will die soon, and this town's oaths will be broken. I plan to send the rider across the sea to the hidden cliffs. It will stay in the village there for five years learning swordplay and basic magic. When the time is over, Eragon Shadeslayer will come and train the child in the ways of the riders. The only problem I can think of is a rider's sword. It would be a pity to have a green blade missing, and she would do no good to have one not made for her. Solembum would know how to make one. Yes, we could send him with the rider to the blacksmith in the hidden cliffs, but I think it requires singing…Oh why must it be so hard?" Angela explained with a whine. She had been through many battles, but this was the most challenging thing for her to do.

"Calm down, Starwatcher. Your plan is a great one, and your intention greater," the woman gave Angela some coins, "Go get yourself a bowl of soup and relax. We will find you in an hour at the town square." And so Angela took the coins in thanks and left. She much needed a nice, hot bowl of soup.


	8. Flower Petals

Flower Petals

Phew. So many readers! You guys rock, seriously.

Now, I'm sure you are all tired of Angela's POV, so we are going to visit Eragon for a chapter. In fact, it's a cooldown chapter. One that despite being a build-up, will seem unimportant. But it is, just it's more of an off-story. How do I explain it??? Maybe I'll just let you read it.

---

Eragon arrived where he meant to, the smooth petals touching his bare hairless legs. He laughed not for the first time since the assault on Dras-Leona, and grinned ear to ear as a familiar Elvin princess appeared at the doorstep of his feet. He kissed her softly, and bent over his side to pick one of the many flowers in the field. Its shimmering golden texture glinted in the sunlight, and he placed it behind Arya's ear. She hugged him and they both turned, holding hands. The hill before them was surprisingly green, and hints of white hung in the trees. Arya's dress flowed as they walked, their legs moving in perfect sync.

The Varden around them smiled out of pure joy. Saphira roared without that fearful tone in her voice. The couple walked forward as a slow song produced from the air, its words ringing true.

_Through fire, we battle beyond_

_Through war, we see to the end_

_Through anger, we veer towards happiness_

_Together_

_Through trees, we gallop along_

_Through fields, we raise our chins_

_Through birds singing in the snow white bushes,_

_We kiss_

_Now take my hand I guide you with_

_Now touch my warm-hearted lips_

_Now love me as though_

_We never know_

_Our destiny_

_I give you this flower petal_

_I let it float to the sky_

_Where it shall reside for evermore_

_So long as you are mine_

The two arrived at the top of the hill, precisely in front of the golden eldunarí. Words rang through the minds of many and all, and Eragon turned to face Arya. Her belly protruding just enough to touch his.

***

Eragon suddenly awoke, noticing a smile on his lips. He sat up dizzily, feeling as though he had just woken up. He looked around through tired eyes and noticed someone he did not expect. Arya looked down upon him and smiled, then kissed him on the lips. She left him sitting confused there, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Eragon would have laid down there, but in his hand sat a golden flower. He stood to chase after her, when a voice appeared in his mind.

_Do not chase her, Eragon. _Saphira advised, _she did not mean for you to follow._

_What was that all about, Saphira? It's as if she suddenly loves me. Remember, before Dras-Leona, when she kissed me on the cheek? And the day after the siege when she looked at me straight in the eyes. I want to say something, but always leaves._

_Eragon, you just need to go to her. She will know what you want before you speak. Believe me._

Eragon walked outside his tent to find it was dawn, and stretched before moving on. He very much felt like finding Roran and having a chat like they used to. And why not? They were not different people than before, just changed. He turned that way and strolled along the path. Roran wouldn't mind.


End file.
